


don't ever set me free

by gracesvirtue (orphan_account)



Category: Figure Skating RPF, Olympics RPF
Genre: F/M, and past weatue bc i'm trash, scott is the florist ofc, side weaver/poje too, tattoo artist/florist au, we love a soft boy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-11
Updated: 2019-02-04
Packaged: 2019-07-29 17:45:09
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 16,769
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16269212
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/gracesvirtue
Summary: It really shouldn’t come as a surprise to him that he’s reduced to a bumbling mess around Tessa but here he is, surprised anyway.“That was ridiculous.” Andrew’s voice says from somewhere above him and Scott flips him off.“Stop spying on me and my love life, just because you have a girlfriend now.”--Scott Moir has been the proprietor of Moir's Magnolias for almost five years. He's been in love with Tessa Virtue, the owner of Black Velvet Ink for almost as long. At this point, it's a miracle either of them manage to get any work done.





	1. colorize my life

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, so I've had this idea since about early June and yet here I am, only just posting it now. Isn't that just the height of procrastination?
> 
> Anyway, this is dedicated to Cora, Georgia and Leesa who have been waiting ... kind of patiently.

Every morning, Scott Moir’s day follows a specific routine that he very rarely deviates from. He gets up around seven in the morning, dresses and washes up for the day, leaves his house at half past on the dot and is at his store for eight. By eight, he’s inside, cleaning up, prepping for the day and readying for opening. His business partner, Andrew, arrives at half past eight and by nine am, they’ve opened up for the day. 

Today, the universe seems set on disrupting that plan. He had slept in and rushed into the shop about twenty minutes later than usual, his shirt slightly askew and hair messy. However, he thanks all his lucky stars that Andrew was on the ball, already there and clearing up. “Morning, Scott.” He smirks, amused. “Big night last night?” 

“Ha, as if. Ended up watching a documentary and didn’t sleep until late. Thanks for getting in on time.” He huffs, moving over to pull the shutters up. Within a few moments, the sparkling glass exterior of Moir’s Magnolias is revealed and he leans over to adjust one of his favourite floral displays in the window. 

“How was your night?” He asks Andrew, half turning in time to see the taller man duck his head and mutter something. “Excuse me?” Scott laughs, turning round more fully. 

“I said it was good!” Andrew replies, a flush high on his cheeks.

“Aw Poje, are you shy about your new girlfriend?” Scott smirks, leaning back against the doorframe. Andrew had recently started dating Kaitlyn Weaver, the sassy blonde who worked in the store across the road and in truth, not even Scott could deny how cute they were together. 

“Shut up, Scottie.” Andrew replies in turn, watching in amusement as Scott’s face crinkled in distaste at the nickname. “But yes, it’s going really well. She’s really sweet.” He adds, his whole expression softening as he speaks of her. If Scott was pettier, he would be disgusted but as it stands, he merely smiles and nods.

“Good for you, man. I’m happy for you.” With that done, he rakes his hand through his hair and moves over to the front counter, surveying the plans for the day. “Okay, we’re not too busy today - we have a couple of arrangements scheduled to be picked up but I can deal with them if you’re able to do those three deliveries at some point - they have time slots noted down.” 

Andrew nods and disappears into the back room. “Yeah, all three are here - I can do that!” He calls in response but Scott barely hears him. Instead, his attention is solely focused on the delivery truck that’s pulled up outside the storefront across the road. Sure enough, the driver deposits a large crate on the sidewalk at the owner’s feet and drives off, leaving her to stare at it with pursed lips. Scott waits for a second, glancing at the door to see if anyone would appear to help her but when it becomes clear that she’s on her own, he pushes himself to his feet. 

“Andrew, I’m going across the road!” He yells.

The bell on the door rings as he throws it open, intending to help her pick up the crate. He’s halfway across the road when she hauls the whole thing up into her arms, the muscles of her biceps rippling under pale skin. 

“Oh. I was coming to help but it looks like you have that under control.” He says sheepishly, pushing his hair back the way he always does when he’s nervous. It wasn’t like he had never noticed how strong Tessa was but, somehow, it takes him by surprise every time he’s confronted with it.

Her gaze lights upon him and she grins, shifting the crate to rest on her hip. “Scott! Morning. Yeah, no, it’s heavy but nothing too bad - Kait would normally help but she’s running late apparently so I’m opening up by myself.” 

“Then helping you with this is the least I can do - it was probably Andrew who made her late.” Scott’s reply was dry although his smile betrayed his fondness for them both. Tessa laughs, bright and melodic, and nods.

“You’re probably right. Here then, grab this end and we can take it through. I would be upset with her but they’re sickeningly adorable so I can forgive it.” The smile she turns on him is lopsided and so warm that tranquillity seems to settle into Scott's bones. He feels like nothing is quite as adorable as she is right now with dark tendrils of hair falling from her messy bun. 

“I suppose so,” he replies quietly, taking the moment to revel in her presence.

“Oh, here, we’re just putting this crate in the back room,” she hums as they distribute the weight between them. Once their grip is sorted out, they carry the crate towards the door of her place and Scott laughs as Tessa kicks it open and backs in. The studio looks exactly the same as ever and Scott can’t help but marvel at how clean she manages to keep the place. Black Velvet Ink is decorated entirely in sleek monochrome, with streamlined white furniture and tiny black accents everywhere to match the black leather tattoo beds. 

He vaguely recognises the faint bluesy strains of Prince’s 5 Women and smiles in recognition of the playlist. He’s been in the studio often enough to be familiar with most of the songs Tessa plays. “Just this way!” Tessa chirps, breaking him out of his reverie as she pushes another door open and settles the crate down on the floor. 

“Thank you,” she murmurs as they stroll back out into the main studio. He waves her off half-heartedly and gestures back to his own store.

“No worries. I should, uh, get back, in case Andrew’s like wrecked the place, eh?” The nerves have kicked in, as ever, but she just smiles warmly at him and leans up on her tiptoes to brush a feather light kiss across his cheek. Instinctively, Scott’s hands come up to support her, his fingers skirting along her shoulder blade, bare where her tank top falls loosely around her frame. Her skin is warm under his touch and he’s sure it’s only his imagination but he’s almost certain he can feel the sweeping lines of the crescent moon tattoo that adorns the porcelain skin there. He’s struck with the urge to kiss it and, in an attempt to quash it, he tightens his grip on her and pulls her into a firm, sound hug. Her squeak of surprise is muffled into his shirt but she settles into the embrace anyway, her strong arms coming up around his back to press him closer. 

He tucks his face into the crook of her neck, just taking a moment to breathe. Not that it helps, of course, because she smells intoxicatingly like home, a heady kind of floral mix that has him longing to taste her. 

Instead, Scott steps back and ruffles his hair. “I’ll maybe see you later, Tess. I hope you have a good day,” he says softly before turning to leave the studio. He doesn’t see how Tessa stands, rooted to the spot for another minute or so after he leaves.

He throws the door of his place open dramatically and slumps at the front desk, carefully moving aside a few delicate blooms before letting his head drop to the wooden surface with a resounding thud. It really shouldn’t come as a surprise to him that he’s reduced to a bumbling mess around Tessa but here he is, surprised anyway.

“That was ridiculous.” Andrew’s voice says from somewhere above him and Scott flips him off.

“Stop spying on me and my love life, just because you have a girlfriend now.” 

\---- 

It wasn’t often that Scott and Andrew actually managed to co-ordinate their lunch breaks but today, they had been lucky enough to do so. It would have been some quality time to have a decent conversation about fun things like hockey or the latest movies in the cinema or hell, even the weather. Anything would have been better than the situation Scott currently finds himself in. Kaitlyn is sat on Andrew’s lap - _right in front of Scott’s salad,_ as Kaitlyn would say. How horrific is it that he’s so familiar with her speech patterns? - and nuzzling into his neck while Andrew regales her with the tale of Scott’s painfully awkward encounter with Tessa earlier in the day. 

“And then, he just like squishes her into a hug and when he left, she just looked so confused - just stood there and stared after him,” Andrew smirks lightly. 

Kaitlyn laughs brightly and shakes her head minutely. “Scott, honey, you really are a disaster around her, huh?” Her smile isn’t exactly wicked but he bristles at the rhetorical question anyway. “Like I really thought Andrew was exaggerating when he said you were head over heels in love with my baby girl but you genuinely are.” 

“I’m not _in love_ with her, Kaitlyn!” Scott yelps, getting to his feet and moving away from the couple. 

“I don’t know, Scott, you sure sound it most of the time,” Andrew chimes in and Scott scowls. “Oh Tessa said the funniest thing the other day! Tessa’s perfume yesterday smelt like gardenias. Oh did you know that Tessa has a tattoo on her shoulder?” He continues in a vaguely mocking tone.

“Hey, her shoulder tattoo is the one I did.” Kaitlyn adds brightly, twisting in Andrew’s lap to show off the matching sun on her shoulder. “She and I decided to match.” 

“That’s so sweet. Why did you guys get it?” Andrew asks, sounding genuinely interested. 

“The day after we bought the lot for Black Velvet, we got the tattoo guns out and decided that every good pair of business partners should match in some way. The sun and moon comparison made sense and we both liked the shoulder placement so we did each other’s.” 

Mentally, Scott thanks Kaitlyn for the work of art that he spends far too much time thinking about before turning his back on them both. “You aren’t funny. I just think she’s good at her job and funny and kind. Doesn’t mean I’m in love with her.” 

Kaitlyn barks out another laugh, climbing off Andrew’s lap to come and stand by Scott’s side. “You sound real convincing, Moir. Well, since you’re not in love with her, you don’t have to worry about anyone else then.” 

Scott’s head snaps around to her. “What do you mean anyone else? Is she seeing someone?” He asks, a sinking feeling of jealousy settling low in his gut. No one was good enough for her. Kaitlyn smiles wryly and claps him on the shoulder. 

“Nah, don’t worry yet. But it’s Tessa and she barely goes a week without someone giving her their number - she’s a firecracker,” Kaitlyn hums, a fond and nostalgic smile twisting her lips before she brightens again. “Hey, if it wasn’t for Andrew, she and I would still have our arrangement and then you’d have no chance at all. So you’re welcome, Casanova.” 

“Yeah, okay, thanks Kaitlyn!” Scott grumbles. “Don’t you have work to do, speaking of your boss?” 

An amused smirk dances across Kaitlyn’s expression but Scott is thankfully saved from whatever joke she was about to make by the doorbell going. “Oh, look at that, it’s a customer!” He says quickly, hurrying out into the main shop. “Hi, Moir’s Magnolias - how can we help?” He asks, his voice adopting a faux-bright tone. 

“Is that your customer service voice?” He meets a familiar green gaze and can’t help but laugh at the slight smile twisting her lips. 

“Afraid so. What brings you over here, Tess?” Scott’s smile brightens up as she shrugs, spreading her arms wide. 

“Looking for my useless partner. Kaet and I are meant to be going on lunch and she has to cover the shop,” Tessa smiles, gesturing to the younger brunette by her side. “Have you met Kaet?” She asks and Scott shakes his head. 

“Can’t say I have!” 

“Oh, perfect. Kaetlyn - this is Scott, he owns this place and works with Andrew. You met him, right?” 

“Kaitlyn’s boyfriend? Super tall?” Kaetlyn asks and Tessa laughs as she nods. 

“That’s the one. Scott, this is Kaetlyn - she’s been my apprentice for a few weeks so we’ve been doing some practice!” Tessa grins, obviously very proud of the girl beside her. “And yes, it’s absolutely confusing having two people with the same name - hence why little Kaet has become Kaet.” Tessa smiles, anticipating Scott’s next question. 

“Of course. Do you want me to fetch Kaitlyn? Her and Andrew are in the back room - we were just having lunch.” Scott half turns away, ready to stick his head back through the door. 

“And you left them alone? Wow, bold choice.” Tessa offers a sharp smirk that has Scott’s heart thundering in his chest and he stumbles for an answer. 

“Oh. I mean. Yeah, I’ll knock.” He says, scratching the back of his neck before rapping his knuckles off the door. “Kaitlyn! Tessa and Kaet are here for you!” He yells before turning back to Tessa. She had strolled closer to him, delicate fingers brushing across the petals of a few dark purple dahlias. “You like them?” He asks softly and is rewarded by a beatific smile in response. 

“They’re gorgeous. I love the colour,” she replies and he finds himself entirely transfixed by her gaze. He’s vaguely aware of Kaet in the background, watching them as though they were the most interesting TV show she had ever seen and on some level, he understood that. He certainly couldn’t drag his eyes away from Tessa, who was just smiling softly at him, the petals of the dahlias still between her fingertips. 

“Oh, stop staring at each other - you’re ridiculous,” Kaitlyn laughs as she pushes the door to the break room open, snapping them both out of their reverie. 

“You’re ridiculous - I’m out here ready to kill someone, I’m that hungry,” Tessa snipes back just as quickly and Kaitlyn laughs, strolling over to drop a kiss on Tessa’s cheek. 

“Sorry baby. I lost track of time - we were making fun of Scott.” The blonde shoots him a wicked grin and he grimaces in response, spreading his arms wide and shrugging in Tessa’s direction. 

“Oh don’t be mean to him - that’s not fair,” Tessa jumps to his defense. “Ignore her, Scott - she likes being a bully.” Kaitlyn gasps in faux outrage before laughing. 

“She’s not wrong. Right, I’ll go watch the shop. Have fun at lunch!” Kaitlyn hums, disappearing out of the door and across the road to Black Velvet. Tessa smiles fondly and rolls her eyes. 

“She’s a pain but yes, we should go. Shall we, Kaet?” Tessa turns to the brunette at her side who nods. 

“Absolutely, let’s go.” 

“Excellent. Bye Andrew!” Tessa hollers, receiving a muffled response almost immediately. She steps forward quickly and tugs Scott into a warm hug. A little surprised, Scott freezes at first as she invades her senses. He reciprocates as quickly as he’s able, pulling her in and squeezing her tight for a brief moment. “See you later, Scott.” She murmurs, muffled into his chest. 

“See you in a bit, Tess,” he whispers into her hair before releasing her and stepping back, Kaetlyn frowns a little at him before turning to Tessa and smiling. 

“Thai today?” 

“Sounds perfect. Let’s go.” And with that, the pair of them leave the shop, the light jingling of the bell on the door following in their wake. He tries not to watch her go but he thinks that maybe he failed miserably. 

\----

“Andrew, do we have any more of the chocolate cosmos?” Scott yells into the back room and Andrew answers with an annoyed grunt.

“I’ll look. Scott, it’s like 6pm - why are you making more arrangements? The ones for tomorrow are all sorted.” He calls back, accompanied by gentle rustling as he looks for the requested flowers. 

“It’s just something I’m trying out.” He mutters. 

“Mhm. Sure. Anyway, here, there’s some in here.” Andrew says, bringing a small bunch of them through to the front of the shop. 

“You’re a lifesaver. Feel free to clock out - I’ll turn everything off and lock up when I go.” Scott says, waving his hand dismissively before returning his attention back to the arrangement he had in front of him. 

“Will do. Also, you’d better hurry up - apparently your girlfriend doesn’t usually stay later than 7,” Andrew grins as he ducks out of the shop before Scott could find anything to throw at him. 

Not that he was wrong though. After seeing how Tessa’s face had just lit up at the sight of the purple dahlias, he had been carefully constructing an arrangement, tailor made for her. He wasn’t really sure what he wanted to achieve with it but making her smile would be enough. Stepping back, he surveys the final product and affords himself a small smile. Proud of it, he takes a length of white ribbon with purple detailing and loops it around the vase he had chosen, tying it off in a near perfect bow. 

Sparing a glance at the still lit tattoo studio, he settles the arrangement into the crook of his elbow and snags his keys with his free hand. It only takes him a few moments to lock up behind himself and cross the road, knocking lightly on the glass of the door. Tessa’s head pops round the corner, clearly ready to tell whoever was there to leave - that they were closed for the night. At the sight of Scott, however, her gaze softens and she smiles, giving a half wave and gesturing for him to wait just two minutes before disappearing back into the staff room.

Sure enough, she reappears seconds later, keys in hand to let him in. “Scott. Hi. I didn’t expect to see you.” She says lightly, her gaze flicking between him and the flowers. 

He gets caught up in looking at her for a brief moment, avoiding answering her in favour of taking in her appearance. Her dark hair had been let out of its signature messy bun, falling free to frame her face in a disheveled manner that had his heart stuttering in his chest, and at some point since he had last saw her, she had knotted her tank top up into a crop top. He wasn’t certain what to do with the expanse of skin on show so he quickly snaps his gaze up to her face. “I made this up for you. I saw you really liked the dahlias so I figured I’d try to make an arrangement around them.” He smiles, watching as the awe blossoms across her face, more beautiful than any flower he had ever cultivated. 

“For me? Wow. Scott, I don’t know what to say. It’s beautiful.” Her voice is quiet and reverent as she reaches out to gently brush her fingers across the petals. “What flowers are there?” She asks. 

“Oh, I’ll show you! Let me put it down - is here okay?” He gestures vaguely to the front desk and she nods quickly, hurrying to clear a space so the vase could sit proudly at the centre. “So, I decided to use purple dahlias as the centrepiece then added these pink garden roses,” he starts, reaching out to touch one of the roses to draw Tessa’s eye to it. “There’s sprigs of white heather throughout, along with purple clematis.” As he speaks, she watches him intensely and he doesn’t really know how to feel. The way that her green gaze seems to burn his skin is not a new sensation to him but she had never stared as long as she’s staring now. He clears his throat and carries on. “These white ones here are japonicas and finally, these little dark ones are chocolate cosmos.” He finishes, moving to step back. 

She reaches for him, her hand clasping around his wrist. “They’re beautiful. Thank you. Do they mean anything particular?” Tessa asks with a curious tilt of her head. 

Oh. He was hoping she wouldn’t have asked that. Clearing his throat, he shuffles from foot to foot before rubbing the back of his neck. “Yeah, they all have meanings. Uh, which ones do you wanna know?” 

Tessa smiles up at him, eyes bright. “All of them. I think it’s so interesting.” She pulls two stools over and settles them in front of the bouquet, perching on one of them. “Sit. Teach me something,” she insists, looking up at him from under her lashes. Who was he to resist? 

“Alright.” He perches on his own stool and gestures to the bouquet. “So the purple dahlias generally were given to someone that you thought possessed a great deal of dignity and elegance.” He hears Tessa’s soft intake of breath but ploughs on all the same. “The pink roses indicate a sense of grace. White heather is for someone you admire.” She’s entirely silent now, rapt as she listens. “Purple clematis for someone with a beautiful mind. White japonica for someone who has a great deal of loveliness and chocolate cosmos are said to bring a sense of tranquility to wherever they’re placed. So yeah. That’s...what they mean.”

He doesn’t know what he expects from her as a reaction but as she rises to her feet, he’s more than a little anxious about it. However, she simply wraps her arms around him and pulls him in close. It’s an odd situation given that he’s still seated but his head rests comfortably on her chest and he relaxes into the rhythm of her breathing. “You like it then?” He asks softly and she giggles above him, light and melodic. 

“I love it. Thank you.” 

“It’s okay, Tess.” 

\----

The next morning is almost entirely uneventful by comparison and Scott finds himself bored by noon. He’s sitting, playing around with various ideas for arrangements that he could perhaps start offering when his mobile rings in his pocket. Thankful for something new to do, he fishes the ringing object out, glancing at the caller ID. A familiar photo flashes on his screen and Scott grins, hitting the green answer call button before lifting it to his ear. 

“Afternoon Danny. Shouldn’t you be at work?” Scott asks. 

“Could say the same to you, Scottie.” His brother’s voice replies and Scott grimaces. 

“Yeah, fair. I am in the shop but it’s quiet for now so we can talk. What can I do for you?” He asks, waving lightly at Andrew as he steps back into the shop. 

“Just wanted to catch up. Also, remember we spoke about maybe doing something as a family tribute? Charlie and I were talking about it yesterday but we really aren’t sure what to do. We figured we should probably get it done before we go home for the holidays.”

“Huh, yeah. I hadn’t figured anything out. Did you two have any ideas?” Scott settles down on his chair, gaze drifting as he listens to Danny explain how neither of them could decide what action would be most meaningful. Unbidden, Scott’s gaze is drawn across to the front of Black Velvet and, before he really knows what he’s saying, he’s interrupting Danny. “What about a tattoo?” 

Andrew chokes on his water across the room and stares at Scott. 

“A tattoo?” Danny asks skeptically. 

“Yeah!” With that, Scott commits to the idea. “We could get the family crest, with the motto that dad taught us underneath. That could be really nice. They don’t have to match in style and placement but like the two elements being similar would work.”

“Huh. Maybe you’ve figured it out. I think that might be the answer. I’ll text Charlie and see if he agrees. I’ll call you back in fifteen and we can actually catch up.” Scott agrees and ends the call quickly. Andrew is still staring at him. 

“Scott, what the fuck?” 

“It’ll be fine. I’ll get Tessa to do it - she’s good.” Scott says dismissively, hoping that he doesn’t sound as nervous as he feels. His phone buzzes a second later with a text from Charlie. 

I’m in, Scottie. Good idea for once. 

“Okay, I gotta call Danny back so… Andrew, would you do me a favour?” Scott asks, picking up his phone to dial Danny’s number again. 

“Story of my life but yes I can. What do you need?” Andrew replies, rolling his eyes fondly. 

“Can you go across the road and make me an appointment with Tessa? Only with Tessa though - your girlfriend scares me.” Andrew’s laugh echoes as he leaves, agreeing to make the appointment. 

Around two hours later, Scott hangs up the phone and settles back into his work, putting aside an arrangement due for collection in the next hour. Andrew had been back in a few times, working on deliveries and, when he sees that Scott is finally off the phone, he grins and slides him a small piece of white card with the logo of Black Velvet embossed. On the other side is Tessa’s neat handwriting with a date for next week and a time. Guess this was happening after all. 

\----

Approaching the door of Black Velvet, Scott feels his heart rate pick up slightly. Not only was he about to have his first tattoo but the woman he's probably half in love with was going to do it. Great. He's gonna have to be cool. 

Exhaling slowly, he pushes the door open and grimaces as the bell rings to announce his arrival. Sure enough, a second later, little Kaetlyn’s head pops up from where she had been poring over paperwork. “Scott! Hey! Let me give you a form to fill out while I get Tessa! You excited?” She asks, scrambling to her feet and passing him sheets of paper and a pen. 

“More like terrified but don't tell Tessa and Kaitlyn, eh? They'll definitely laugh.” He grins, taking the pen and moving to start filling all the health and safety checks in.

“They'd only laugh a little but definitely between us. Tessa’s just doing a piercing - she shouldn't be too long.” Scott swallows hard and nods. It takes him less than five minutes to finish writing his information into the form and he passes it back to Kaetlyn just as the door at the back of the studio swings open. A blonde woman steps out, looking entirely thrilled with herself and Tessa follows a step behind, smiling fondly. 

“Alright, you know the drill, Ashley - you've been here plenty of times. Kaetlyn will take payment but I hope healing goes well - feel free to come in if anything is being problematic.” Tessa smiles before turning on Scott. “Morning! Ready for this?” She asks, mischief sparking bright in her eyes. 

“Absolutely not.” He replies in earnest. Tessa's face softens in reply and she nods, smoothing out her jeans and quickly picking up the form he had just filled out. 

“Well, everything is in order for you so if you want to come through, we can talk it through first until you feel up to it.” Scott follows at her heels obediently and perches on the edge of the sleek black leather bed as Tessa opens up a folder. “So I got the design you sent across - very pretty, I've done a couple of family crests before so this isn't my first rodeo.” That's delivered with a wry smile and Scott can't help the places his mind goes to. “So, where do you want it?”

“What?” He chokes out, his mind full of images of him just laying her out on the leather bed and settling above her.

“The tattoo?” And there was the bucket of cold water he so desperately needed. Sheepishly, he ruffles his hair and shrugs.

“Uh, I was thinking maybe over my heart.” He murmurs, patting the left side of his chest and watching in interest as Tessa flushes a pretty rose pink and glances down to avoid his eye contact.

“Okay, yeah, that's fine. If you uh…wouldn't mind just-just taking off your shirt and I'll position it.” With that, Tessa disappears out of the room in order to move the design onto transfer paper and he's left blinking after her. The reaction to him having to take his shirt off was one he hadn't expected and so, it takes him a second before he's able to move. Once he can, he quickly pulls his shirt off, folds it neatly and sets it at the foot of the bed. Less than a minute later, Tessa ducks her head back in and smiles to see him settled. 

“Perfect. I'm gonna clean the area, give it a shave down and then we can position the design, yeah?” She says, all business now. Her hair had been swept up into a high ponytail and gloves snapped on. Scott’s breath stutters in his chest at the sight but he nods. 

“Yeah, that's fine.” He murmurs, watching as she smiles and moves over.

“Cool, if you sit at the edge of the bed and I'll just sit here.” Carefully, Tessa tucks herself in between his legs and leans over to settle one hand on his shoulder. The first brush of contact sends a spark of electricity coursing through him and he forces himself to breathe slowly through it. With measured, gentle movements, Tessa methodically cleans the spot right above his heart for a few minutes. “I'm going to shave it now, just to catch any loose hairs and give myself a smooth canvas, alright?” 

Her voice is pitched low, her green eyes focusing firmly on his chest as she works and Scott nods. “Yeah, that's fine.”

“Cool. See, you're a natural at this.” She glances up briefly to shoot him a reassuring smile that leaves him breathless for a moment. By the time he's recovered, she's carefully dragging a razor down his skin with all the slick precision of a professional. He’s barely released the breath he’s holding before she’s sitting back, finished already. “Sorted. Let's transfer this design on now!” 

They work together to find a placement, shifting it a few times until the design sits right above his heart. Smiling, Tessa nods and steps back. “Perfect. If you can just lie back here and I can get started.” He doesn’t hesitate in swinging his legs up and lying back, with his chest offered up to Tessa. The hum of the tattoo gun fills the companionable silence and, as she dips the needle into the ink, she smiles at him warmly. 

“So I noticed your family motto is in Latin? What does it mean?” She asks as she begins to work on the lettering.

Scott grimaces at first before forcing himself to answer. “Oh yeah. It's Latin for by virtue, not otherwise.” 

He was expecting the scratch like pain again but nothing came. Instead, Tessa had frozen where she was, blinking for a minute. “Oh.” 

“Oh?” He asks curiously, looking down at her. “What's that?” 

“Just an interesting coincidence is all. That's my name.”

“What is?”

“Virtue.” She flashes a quick, sheepish smile. “My name is Tessa Virtue.” 

Scott blinks in response, entirely bewildered. Firstly, it had taken him by surprise that he hadn’t ever known her surname, nor had he asked but secondly, out of everything this woman could be called, she just so happened to have the same surname as was featured in his ancient family motto. He glances down at where she had started inking the first few letters of ‘virtute’ onto his chest. 

If he was entirely honest with himself, the thought of walking around with her name tattooed on his skin was simultaneously terrifying and appealing. He wasn’t sure which feeling would win out but he did know that it was stirring something within him. There was something about Tessa. He didn’t know what, he just knew that he would never grow tired of being in her presence. 

Knowing that she was expecting an answer, he clears his throat carefully and smiles back at her. “Well, isn’t that a hell of a coincidence? Maybe you were meant to do my tattoo.” He finishes lamely, although she laughs slightly and he feels the tension dissipate. 

“Yeah, maybe.” She murmurs before turning her attention back to the task at hand. 

Around an hour in, he finally swallows his pride and taps Tessa’s shoulder, his chest beginning to burn painfully. “Can we take a break?” He asks, awkwardly avoiding her gaze. Truthfully, he felt ashamed but Tessa merely smiles and stretches out like a cat. As she does so, her distressed grey Guns N Roses shirt rides up slightly and he forces himself to look away.

“Of course, yeah. There’s not too long left to go anyway - you’re taking it really well,” she hums, setting the tattoo gun aside. They both take the opportunity to stretch out and take a walk around the little room before Scott perches back on the bed. 

He’s about to break the comfortable silence between them when the moody bass of Black Velvet filters through the speakers and Tessa’s face lights up. “Hey, it’s this place’s namesake!” He grins up at her and she nods quickly, smiling warmly. 

“I love it. Kaitlyn and I used to dance to it all the time.” 

Despite knowing that Kaitlyn was perfectly happy with Andrew, the thought of her and Tessa moving together in slow, swaying movements sparks a familiar fire of jealousy in him. If anyone was going to dance to Black Velvet with Tessa, he wanted it to be him. 

“We good to start again?” She asks, breaking his train of thought as she picks up the tattoo gun. 

“Yeah, that’s fine.” He lies back again and lets her move in close to his still bare chest to finish the job.

Once she’s situated, he relaxes into the prickling sensation. It’s nothing compared to the torture to follow. With her brow furrowed in concentration as she works, Tessa starts humming along to the swinging tempo of the song. It’s fascinating to watch as she lapses into the music, letting it overtake her, her focus narrowing to the tattoo and the song. 

Of course, she begins to sing along softly. Her voice is nothing Grammy worthy but it’s soft and light and Tessa’s so he listens intently, trying not to think about the way her hot breath is washing over his exposed chest. Scott draws in a breath of his own and holds it, trying to tamp down on the rapidly rising arousal. Absolutely not the time nor the place. 

Thankfully, it fades out into the far more upbeat rhythm of Queen and Tessa falls silent once more. By this point, she’s putting the final touches to his new ink and beginning to sit back. “Alright. I think that’s it. Do you want to take a look?” She asks. 

“Yeah, please.” He says, hoping his breathlessness could be blamed on the pain. 

“Perfect, let me grab a mirror,” she smiles, hopping to her feet and strolling over to the other side of the room. She brings the small handheld mirror over and stands just in front of him, letting him quietly admire it. 

“Wow. It’s perfect. Really, Tess. It’s exactly what I wanted,” he whispers, resisting the urge to run his fingers over the fresh ink. 

“I’m so glad.” She says, just as softly. “I’ll grab a dressing for it.” With that, she disappears again, leaving him to stare quietly at the crest upon his chest in awe. Tessa returns moments later and carefully sits on the stool in front of him, settling just between his legs. “I’m just going to clean it gently and then pop this dressing on. The dressing can come off after a couple of hours then wash it down gently. Pat it dry then it should be good. Kaetlyn will give you the aftercare leaflet so you don’t have to remember all of this.” She says. 

Absently, Scott thinks that it’s probably for the best considering that her proximity is so distracting that he can barely focus on her words. “Okay.” He mumbles, as her deft fingers carefully skirt over his skin, cleaning up the tattoo. 

She smooths the dressing over his new ink and secures it down, although her fingers linger briefly upon his shoulder. “Good work, Scott. You took it well.” Her voice is still pitched low and he knows it would just be so easy to lean in and capture her lips with his. He’s about to move closer when the door to their little room swings open. 

“Aha. Thought I’d find you here.” Kaitlyn’s voice is smug and both Scott and Tessa jump. Tessa scrambles to take her gloves off and dispose of them, forcing a smile in Scott’s direction.

“Anyway, so if you just want to pop your shirt back on. Kaetlyn can take payment. Nice work - it looks lovely on you,” she hurries to say before disappearing out of the room. 

Kaitlyn remains in the doorway, a smirk twisting her red-painted lips. “Real smooth, Moir. You nearly had it.” 

“I might actually murder you, Kaitlyn.” He groans, pulling his shirt on and trudging out to pay. His chest ached from the tattoo but truthfully, he was more concerned with the rate his heart was thundering at. Tessa Virtue really would be the death of him at this rate.


	2. under a violet moon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi friends. how's it going? everyone hanging in there alright? 
> 
> this chapter has been a long time coming but hey, here we are. thanks to kristina for beta-ing this so quickly for me, you're a star! also big thanks to leesa for letting me ramble and vent every time this gave me the slightest bit of trouble lmao. 
> 
> this is dedicated to my darling úna as an early birthday present. lots of love, my angel!

It’s one in the afternoon. The store opened five hours ago. They had served several customers.

It’s one in the afternoon, Scott’s delivery hasn’t arrived yet and he’s pacing back and forth so frantically that Andrew has pointed out to watch for wear in the floor several times.

It doesn’t get any funnier the more he says it.

“Andrew, where is it?” Scott asks, peering out the window at every vehicle that drives past in hopes of spotting the delivery van.

“I don’t know, Scott. I don’t see why you’re so stressed, we have enough to carry us for at least today so even if it doesn’t arrive today, we’ll be fine,” Andrew says, pinching the bridge of his nose. Scott is very aware that he’s stressing the taller man out considerably.

“No, it needs to be today,” Scott says, turning on his heels to start pacing yet again. Andrew sighs behind him and stands, ruffling his hair.

“Alright. I’m going out to do this delivery just now. Don’t… I have no idea. Just don’t cause chaos because you’re impatient,” he says before disappearing out through the back door. Scott scowls at his retreating back and moves over to the front desk, forcing himself to sit at it instead of uselessly pacing. Sighing, he starts to get to work making new displays for the front window, focusing on the delicate stems and blooms instead of the rising stress in his chest.

Thankfully, he manages to lose himself in the steady, soothing work for an hour or so and, finally, at two fifteen, the delivery van for Moir’s Magnolias appears. Scott is on his feet in seconds, throwing the door open to help the driver carry the crates in carefully.

“Thanks, man, appreciated,” he says distractedly as he gets to work moving everything into the back storage room. Once all the crates are safely put away, Scott rocks back onto his haunches and surveys his delivery, looking for what he needs. It takes him a few moments to spot the exact bloom he wants but when he does, he carefully leans forward and plucks four of the flowers from their water.

With the flowers held delicately in one hand, he hurries back through to the front desk, rifling through the array of meticulously organised ribbons. Eventually, he finds a length of plain twine that he winds around the stems, tying it off into a clean, neat knot. He settles the miniature bouquet back into a bucket of water for the time being and waits for Andrew to return.

As soon as he does, the pair of them get to work making sure the shop is in perfect running order, with Andrew prepping the deliveries for tomorrow while Scott mans the front desk. Sundays are always a busy day for them and Scott’s thankful for it today. It gives him something to think about other than the dark-haired woman just across the street. He actively pushes away all thoughts of Tessa as he works, focusing instead on arranging pre-determined bouquets, on carefully writing out labels and notes to attach, on taking stock.

Around ten minutes before closing, a teenage girl wanders in — pretty, dark haired, young and looking absolutely out of her comfort zone. Scott glances up and offers a gentle smile. “Hi. Can I help you with anything?”

“Hi. Um, I’m not really sure what I’m looking for. It’s my… it’s my girlfriend’s birthday tomorrow and I wanted to get her flowers but I don’t want anything really extravagant or weird. I don’t really know where to start,” the girl says shyly and Scott smiles.

“No worries. What’s her favourite colour?” Scott asks, standing up and dusting his hands down. This is quite possibly his favourite part of his job — getting a chance to work with the customer and create something perfect.

“Purple. She loves purple,” the girl says immediately and Scott grins in response.

“We can work with purple. Follow me. How about these lilac freesias?” he asks, gesturing to a small collection of flowers, and the girl smiles.

“They’re really pretty. Would we put anything else in?” she says, reaching forward to brush her fingers across the petals.

“We can — I could make something small. It would be more of a posy than a bouquet really but it would be nice and subtle enough to sit in her room without being overpowering,” he says. “I’ll do it now if you want?”

“That would be great. Also, do you know how much it’ll be roughly?” the girl asks and Scott knows that’s been the source of her anxiety. Shrugging, he collects up some more blooms.

“Normally these arrangements are a little bit more but, because it’s rare that I see someone so young who cares so much about their partner, I’ll give it to you for half price, yeah?” he says, watching the way her face lights up immediately.

“Oh, you don’t have to do that!” she insists and he shakes his head.

“Don’t worry about it. You saved me from boredom,” he says, trimming the excess foliage off some of the flowers and carefully arranging them into a provisional set up. “What do we think?” he asks and the girl surveys the bouquet.

“Can we have a tiny bit more of the other purple ones?” she asks and Scott nods, gathering a few more lilac September flowers to thread through the bouquet.

“Better?” he asks and she grins in response, nodding.

“It’s perfect. Thank you so, so much. She’s going to love them,” she says. Scott grins and carefully ties the stems together with a fine, white ribbon and rings up the bouquet, applying the discount as he had promised. She pays quickly, thanking him profusely and Scott waves it off again.

“I hope she has a good birthday!” he calls as the girl leaves and she smiles back gratefully. He carefully takes the time to clean up the trimmings from his workspace before checking the time. “Andrew, you good to close up?” he calls into the back room.

“Yeah, we’re good. Prepped everything for tomorrow. I’m ready to close if you are,” Andrew replies, coming out of the room. “Are you okay to lock up if I duck out now? I think Kaitlyn and I are going for dinner.”

Scott rolls his eyes fondly and shoos him away. “Go on then, don’t say I’m not good to you. Enjoy your date!”

“Oh, I will!” Andrew calls back as he hurries out of the store. Scott sighs, with an amused smile playing around his lips, as he gets to work sweeping up the floor. There is a quick rap at the door and Scott glances up, ready to give the usual “we’re closed” spiel, when he sees Tessa standing there, a shy smile curving her lips. He takes a moment to move. He had spent essentially all day trying not to think about her and now she’s standing outside his shop, looking radiant. Eventually, he shakes himself into movement and props the broom up against the wall as he unlocks the door to let her in.

“Tessa. Hi,” he says.

“Hi. I was just closing and saw your lights were all still on. Wondered if you needed a hand with closing — Kaitlyn and I managed to get everything done really quick so I was just about to head home,” she says as she steps in carefully, green-eyed gaze sliding across all the flowers fondly.

“I just sent Andrew away so he’d make his date,” Scott laughs. “I think I’m good but the company would be nice, if you’re not in a rush to get home?” he asks cautiously. Not that he needs to worry. Tessa nods almost immediately and saunters around the front desk to drop into his usual seat.

“What do you think? Am I in the wrong business?” she asks, an amused glint dancing in her eyes. Scott smiles at her, this leather-jacket-wearing woman smirking slyly while sat surrounded by delicate, soft blooms.

“If you ever get bored of tattooing, I’d welcome you in an instant,” he says warmly, watching as her smirk slips into a soft, pleasant smile instead.

“Good to know,” she murmurs.

Scott remembers with a start just what he should be doing at the minute and quickly hurries over to the back room. “I have beers back here if you want one?” he offers, hand trembling as he reaches for the handle.

“Sounds great actually, thanks. I can’t stay too late so — just one for me.”

“No worries, early start for me tomorrow too,” he says, ducking in to grab two of the beers from where he and Andrew stow them. Sometimes after a late closing, they’d share one before heading home. Less so these days since he's usually headed home to Kaitlyn. After a moment of thought, he picks up the little bouquet of tiger lilies.

He sets the opened beer next to her and, when she looks up to gift him with yet another brilliant smile, he offers the bouquet across the table. “I ordered these in as a gift — just to say thank you for doing such a good job with my tattoo,” he says, lightly touching his own chest where the ink was with his free hand.

“Oh Scott, you really didn’t have to,” she says softly, although she’s gazing at the orange blooms in wonder. “They’re beautiful.”

“Don’t worry about it. I just wanted to say thanks,” he says bashfully before cracking his own beer open and asking her quietly about her day. She tears her gaze from the flowers and launches into the story of her latest customer who had come in for a tattoo so elaborate that they had scheduled him in for nine sessions. Scott thinks it sounds like his own personal brand of torture.

They nurse their beers for a good few hours, chatting away aimlessly but never once losing the flow of conversation. Tessa’s halfway through telling Scott about her sister’s job in Toronto when the flowers to her right catch her eye again and she sighs. “What flowers are these?” She asks, reaching out to touch a petal lightly.

“They’re tiger lilies. One of my favourites but not always popular so we never order too many,” he explains and Tessa softens.

“I don’t see why they’re not popular. They’re beautiful. Do these ones have a meaning?”

Scott freezes momentarily before clearing his throat. “Uh, they signify gratitude. So, yeah…” he trails off awkwardly, praying that she buys the lie. She hums thoughtfully before returning to her story and he exhales a sigh of relief, ruffling his hair as he lets himself listen to her soothing voice once more.

It isn’t until another hour or two later, when she’s said her goodbyes and gathered her things and hugged him warmly, that he lets himself ruminate on the true meaning. Sighing, Scott leans his back heavily against the door, gazing at where she had been sitting for so long.

“The tiger lily means _I dare you to love me_ ,” he whispers into the silence.

He flicks the lights off and heads out of the door.

\---

Monday morning dawns bright and clear, and it’s absolutely freezing cold outside. Scott glares pointedly at the temperature reading in his car as he sets off towards the shop, in the hopes that Andrew has already gotten there and started opening up. Of course, that is like asking for a miracle and, as he pulls up to the storefront, his phone starts to ring insistently. Andrew’s name and picture flash up and Scott sighs slowly, dreading what awaits him. “Scott, I’m so sorry but Julia’s gone into labour and I really want to be there, is it okay if I take today off?” Andrew asks, his voice frantic.

“Oh god, yeah, of course. Send your sister my love, man,” Scott says without a second thought. “I’ll manage just fine without you for the next few days,” he assures him. Andrew says a hurried thank you and hangs up. Scott sighs and steels himself for a busy day now that he will be manning the place alone. He strolls over to the door and pats his pockets down for the keys.

He freezes, then pats them down again.

“Oh fuck,” he mutters, realising that he must have left them inside last night. The shutters had locked down behind him automatically as they usually did. “Shit. Okay,” he says to himself, stepping back and rocking back and forth on his heels. “Locksmith. Call him,” he says after a moment, pulling his phone out and finding a number for a local locksmith.

He paces back and forth as he speaks, eventually working out that the earliest they can get to him is two in the afternoon. He accepts and thanks them before hanging up and leaning heavily against the wall. This is exactly what he didn’t need today. He’s about to climb back in his car and head home when a familiar dark head pops out of the parlour across the road.

“Scott! Are you alright?” Tessa calls, beckoning him over.

Scott smiles warmly at her, despite the frustration surging through him as he crosses the road to her place. “I’m fine but I managed to lock myself out of the shop. Andrew’s rushed home because his sister’s gone into labour and the earliest the locksmith can get to me is two,” he huffs out all in a rush and Tessa’s eyes widen.

“That sounds like one hell of a morning. I’m afraid that locksmithing isn’t one of my hidden talents but I have sodas in here and granola bars and it’s somewhere warm to sit while you wait if you want?” She offers, opening the door wider.

Scott nods gratefully. “That would be perfect, Tess, thanks.”

“No worries. I have a couple of appointments but you’re more than welcome to sit and watch or...whatever,” she says softly as they step into the parlour. He nods and sits on the sleek black sofa that Tessa points out to him. “Do you want a soda?” She asks.

“Would be great, thanks,” he says, raising his hand in greeting as Kaitlyn wanders past.

“What are you doing here, Casanova?” the blonde asks breezily and Scott grunts in annoyance at the nickname.

“Locked myself out of the shop, locksmith won’t arrive until two and Andrew’s sis—”

“Sister is in labour, yeah,” Kaitlyn finishes for him, waving her hand. “I know, I know. So, what? Are you going to come learn how to do some piercing?” She grins and Scott shudders.

“No, thanks. I’ll just watch T,” he says and Kaitlyn’s eyebrows lift at the new nickname. Thankfully, she says nothing and swans off, calling for Kaetlyn so that they can go over paperwork.

Tessa returns moments later with a soda in one hand. “Here we go. We keep a case in the staff room fridge in case anyone starts to feel faint during a session but we won’t miss one,” she laughs as she passes it to him. He grins back and cracks it open.

“Thanks Tess, you’re the best,” he says. She blushes lightly at the compliment and he watches the rose pink flush spread across her cheeks with a curious interest. It makes her look all the more beautiful. He’s about to say so when little Kaetlyn’s voice breaks their moment.

“Tess, your first session is here!” Tessa shoots him an apologetic smile and turns to get to work. He settles back into the sofa and listens to her standard speech, the soft pitch of her voice soothing him. The position of the sofa lends him a decent view of the tattoo room through the large glass window and he watches as she easily converses with the young woman sat in front of her.

He can’t help but notice how easily she manages to put the other woman at ease, well before the tattoo gun even touches her skin, and then, when she finally sets the needles down onto the woman’s thigh, there’s barely even a flinch.

The session takes a little over two and a half hours and Scott watches Tessa diligently for the whole time, studying the way her brow furrows in concentration, the way she pauses every so often to straighten her back, the way she holds the tattoo gun with such sure, deft hands. The time flies by as he watches every little quirk of her at work.

She’s barely finished the tattoo session — the young woman is still paying at the front desk — when Kaitlyn gestures for her. “Tess! We have a girl who wants a piercing here? Paperwork is all done, shouldn’t take long.” Tessa shrugs helplessly in his direction, even as he laughs, and she hurries over to speak to the girl, checking her ID before leading her over to one of the piercing rooms.

The majority of the afternoon carries on similarly. It’s obvious that Tessa and Kaitlyn have built a fairly steady flow of customers up and, even though it means he doesn’t get to talk to her as much as he’d like, he can’t help but be proud of her as he watches her navigate the day with ease.

He’s just settled down to watch her do her second tattoo session of the day which happens to be the young girl, Rachel, who had bought the bouquet from him only yesterday. She and her girlfriend, Kate, sit side by side, getting matching tattoos. Tessa and Kaitlyn had agreed to do it immediately with soft, nostalgic smiles curling their lips.

He’s just waving brightly to Rachel when Kaetlyn flops down on the sofa next to him, looking at him curiously. “Kaitlyn’s right then,” she says and he startles.

“What? I have no idea what you mean,” he says, although he’s well aware of the fact that he’s tried to cover his nervousness up far too quickly for it to be believable.

“Yeah, you do. Kaitlyn’s told me all about how she thinks you’re in love with Tessa. I didn’t know whether to believe it or not but the way you look at her when she isn’t watching…” She trails off and Scott groans, scrubbing a hand over his face. Kaetlyn shrugs. “You’re not the most subtle, Scott, but I think you’re probably in with a chance with her,” she admits.

Scott is about to ask more about that particular revelation but Kaetlyn just ploughs on. “Which is the problem, really. Ask Kaitlyn — she and I adore Tessa so much but historically, her taste in boyfriends is, well, awful. Her taste in girlfriends has always been impeccable but there we are. So I guess what I’m saying is that you seem really nice and I think she would be really happy with you. However, if you hurt her, you’ll have Kaitlyn and I to deal with. And her sister probably and I’m scared of Jordan so…”

Overwhelmed with that amount of information, Scott blinks at her for a few moments before shaking his head. “I’d never dream of hurting her.”

“I figured as much but I wanted to make sure,” Kaetlyn says with a soft smile. “And don’t ask about how she feels — it’s not my place. You’ll have to pluck up the courage to ask her,” she adds and Scott huffs.

“Fine,” he sighs, deciding to drop the subject. “How did you meet Tessa?” He asks instead, tilting his head in interest.

“Oh, well, she did my first tattoo when I was 18 — the pawprint one on my wrist,” Kaetlyn explains. “I really liked her so I kind of kept up with what she was doing. Didn’t really intend on going into this business but then I figured I was good at it and I enjoyed it so when I found out she and Kaitlyn had set up this place, I messaged her on Instagram and asked if she would be interested in having an apprentice. I was lucky she said yes,” Kaetlyn smiles warmly at the memory and shrugs. “She’s been good to me — she’s always been patient and willing to teach me whatever I ask. Kaitlyn too. So, we’re protective of our little group,” she shrugs.

“I know,” he says quietly.

“Look, I think you’d be good for Tessa and I like you. She’s agreed to throw a party for my birthday this weekend at hers. Why don’t you come along? No doubt Kaitlyn will want to bring Andrew and I was going to invite my boyfriend as well. At least you’d get a chance to chat properly without work in the way?” She offers.

Scott grins at her and nods once. “Sounds perfect, Kaetlyn. Thank you.”

Kaetlyn grins back, open and friendly now that she’s gotten her obligatory ‘don’t hurt her’ talk out of the way. “No worries. Besides, you’ll probably just get teased by Kaitlyn all night so maybe don’t thank me yet.” And with that, she stands and disappears back to her seat at the front desk.

The locksmith calls ten minutes later to say he’s outside. Scott waves a goodbye to Tessa who gives him a brilliant smile in return and he strolls over to his own store, feeling lighter than he has in days. Perhaps he really does have a chance.

\---

Friday night rolls around and Scott finds himself tapping his foot anxiously as he waits for Andrew to show up. The two of them have agreed to take an Uber to Tessa’s together and, if he’s entirely honest, Scott has never been more impatient to get anywhere in his life. He’s changed outfits twice already and made sure his hair is just perfectly fluffy before resorting to restlessly wandering around his apartment. Eventually, there’s a sharp knock at the door and Scott practically flies to open it. Andrew blinks at him in surprise. “Uber’s waiting.”

“Great, let’s go!”

“Scott, man, you have to chill before we get there or you’re going to scare Tessa off,” Andrew says, chuckling lightly. Scott flips him off before climbing into the Uber.

The drive doesn’t take long and, sooner rather than later, Scott and Andrew are approaching the correct apartment. Andrew knocks lightly and the door swings open to reveal Tessa, smiling brightly and clutching a drink in one hand. While she and Andrew say the customary greetings, Scott takes the moment to take her in, everything from the long dark curls, the loose tank top and the dark denim cut offs. She looks ravishing. He manages to flash her a bright smile and doesn’t spontaneously collapse when she tugs him into a warm hug of greeting. He counts that as a win. “Come on in! The girls are here already and—”

  
“Tessa! Babe, get your cute little butt in here, we want to do shots,” Kaitlyn calls from the sitting room and Tessa shrugs helplessly.

“Come with me, you can put your stuff in the kitchen once I do this,” she says. The boys trail after her and wave their hellos to Kaitlyn and Kaetlyn who are sitting with three shots of whiskey poured out. Tessa picks up one, clinks her glass with the other two and knocks the golden liquid back with ease. “Right, this way,” she says, turning towards the kitchen.

“Damn, T. That was impressive,” Scott says and Tessa laughs brightly as she steps into the kitchen and gestures for them to set their stuff upon the white counters which are mostly empty, save for several bottles of alcohol.

“Nah, not particularly. I’ve spent almost all of my twenties with Kaitlyn. You can’t do that without learning how to deal with shots,” she says, pulling two glasses down from a cupboard and passing them over. Scott laughs and pours himself a generous measure of whiskey before adding Coke. He passes both bottles to Andrew who does the same.

“Maybe I’ll challenge her to a competition. I used to be pretty decent at shots in my day,” Scott grins and Tessa shakes her head, a fond smile curling her rose pink lips.

“On your own head be it,” she says in a sing-song voice before swanning through to join the girls.

\--

Scott grimaces as he downs the shot, shaking his head in disbelief. “Kaitlyn, I have no idea how you do it but props,” he hisses, slamming the shot glass down next to her empty one. She and Scott have been going shot for shot on tequila for about five minutes and he resigns himself to tapping out.

“Practice, Casanova,” she grins. Scott rolls his eyes and sits back, his gaze drifting across the room in search for Tessa. When he doesn’t spot her, he sighs and pushes himself to his feet, trying not to think about how the room lurches dangerously as he does so. Carefully, he makes his way into the kitchen, trying not to look as tipsy as he feels.

Sure enough, Tessa is perching on her kitchen counter, legs tucked under her as she scrolls through her phone with one hand and sips at her rum and coke with the other. “Hey,” he murmurs, grabbing a chair facing her and sinking into it quickly, slanting a warm smile at her.

“Hey. I thought you were engaged in a shot competition with Kaitlyn?” she asks with a tilt of her head.

“I was. _Was_ being the operative word.” He laughs. “I have no idea how she can drink like that.”

“Practice,” Tessa quips immediately, locking her phone and setting it aside.

“That’s exactly what she said!” he huffs, shaking his head disbelievingly. “Why are you hiding away in here anyway?” Scott asks softly.

“No reason — sometimes I just like to have a moment somewhere quiet before I go back to the party,” she says. He scans her face carefully for any sign of something being wrong but finds absolutely nothing to indicate that so he merely shrugs.

“That’s fair. I can go if you want?” he offers, moving to stand, although he stops as soon as she shakes her head.

“No, no. Don’t worry about it,” she smiles kindly, shifting slightly on the counter. As she does so, the tiny piece of black ink on the inside of her ankle catches his eye and he nods his head towards it.

“Was that your first tattoo?” he asks and she smiles, glancing down at her ankle.

“Yeah, when I was 19. My mom hated it but she came around eventually,” Tessa grins, tracing the silhouette of the ballerina that adorns her skin.

“Any reason you chose a ballerina?” Scott asks curiously, shifting fractionally closer to peer at the detailed ink. Tessa inhales sharply and he grimaces, wondering if he had hit upon a sore spot. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have ask—”

“No, it’s okay. I just haven’t told this story in a while,” she says, pushing dark curls from her face before letting out a slow breath. “I used to dance as a kid. I danced a lot, in fact, and I was good. Like, the National Ballet School invited me to join them when I was nine. So I did and there was a real possibility of me becoming one of the principals by the time I was 17 or so but uh, there was an issue with my shins. Overuse injury. I had surgery but the strain of being en pointe after that was too much for my shins so I was forced to retire. So I got the tattoo as a tribute to that part of my life,” she says.

“Oh, Tessa, I’m so sorry,” he murmurs. With that knowledge, Scott glances back at her tattoo and is able to pick out the neat surgical scars on her shins, faded over the years but still visible. “I shouldn’t have asked, I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine honestly. I’m incredibly happy with the parlour and, if I had been in ballet, I would never have gotten a chance to know Kaitlyn better or have Kaet as my apprentice or have met you. So really, there’s a silver lining. Besides, I love all my tattoos and I wouldn’t have been able to get them if I was a ballet dancer,” she grins, a little lighter now.

Aware of the fact that she’s obviously trying to change the subject, Scott smiles and goes along with it. “How many do you have? I think I’ve only seen two,” he says.

“I have five,” she answers with a soft smile. “I have the one on my shoulder that matches Kaitlyn’s, I have the ballerina, I’ve got one on my hip, one on my thigh and one on my sternum,” she says, counting them all off. Scott smiles at her, even as his mind starts to whirl with thoughts as to what sort of ink she has hidden away.

“Oh? What are the others?” he asks, praying that his voice stays level.

“I have a quote from an e.e cummings poem on my hip, I have a music staff on my thigh and a floral piece here on my sternum,” she explains, reaching up to trace just under the curve of her breasts. He swallows hard and forces himself not to stare.

“They sound pretty,” he manages. She smiles and shuffles closer, until her legs are either side of him and his face is level with her stomach. Carefully, she twists slightly to the side and pulls the hem of her tank top up to reveal a neatly printed quote across the porcelain of her hip, reading simply _‘trust your heart if the seas catch fire’_ and he exhales quietly, letting the words on her skin sink into his mind. “It’s beautiful,” he says softly. “What poem is it from?”

“It’s called dive for dreams. The whole stanza is; _trust your heart, if the seas catch fire and live by love, though the stars walk backward_ ,” she recites it with ease and shrugs one shoulder. “I’ve always liked it.”

“It’s pretty,” he says, at a loss for words still as he forcibly tears his gaze away from the sliver of exposed skin. She smiles in response and slides forward a little on the counter to push her denim cut offs up so he can see the music staff tattoo that wraps around her upper thigh.

“Wow. That must have taken forever,” he says, mouth suddenly dry as he fights the urge to reach out and trace the lines making up the staff.

“A few hours,” she answers, pitching her voice just as low as his. Then she says the words that leave him reeling. “You can touch it, Scott. I can tell you want to,” she whispers. He snaps his gaze up to her and finds nothing but surety in her eyes. Shaking only slightly, Scott sets his beer next to her and carefully lifts his hand to settle on the skin of her thigh, cool and smooth under his hand as his fingers dance lightly across the ink. He watches in interest as goosebumps rise in the wake of his touch. Unbidden, Kaetlyn’s confession that Tessa is interested in him too floats to the front of his mind and he looks up at Tessa where she sits above him on the counter.

Slowly, as though testing the waters, Scott stands to put himself at the same height as her although his hand never leaves her thigh, his thumb still tracing back and forth across her porcelain skin. “Tessa. Tell me to stop if you want me to,” he whispers.

“Don’t stop,” she breathes out and, reassured, Scott brings his free hand up to cup her jaw and dips his head to hers, pressing their lips together. He’s never been one to believe in the cliche of fireworks happening when you kiss someone but what he does know is that kissing Tessa might be more intoxicating than any spirit he’s ever drank in his life.

She lets out a soft, breathy whimper against his lips and it’s nearly his undoing. Eventually, he pulls back, taking in the soft fluttering of her lashes and the swelling to her lips. She looks beautiful. He tells her so and she laughs, wry and breathless, before reaching up to swipe her thumb across his bottom lip to remove traces of her lipstick.

“I would offer for you to stay,” she starts, voice husky and rough, “but I’d like to remember every single detail of the first time you fuck me,” she finishes, a smirk painting her lips. He groans at her sudden brazenness but nods in agreement, reluctantly stepping back.

“I’m going to go get cleaned up. You should head back through before they suspect,” Tessa murmurs, hopping down from the counter and disappearing towards the bathroom. Scott exhales heavily and spends a moment trying to get himself under control before he wipes his mouth with the back of his hand and turns to head back to the sitting room.

The rest of the party flies by and no one mentions their indiscretion in the kitchen, although Scott is absolutely positive that Kaetlyn and Kaitlyn suspect. He manages to excuse himself to head home around midnight, his mind still fixated on Tessa. There’s no way that he can fuck this up. Not now.

As soon as he gets home, he collapses into bed, falling into a restless drunken sleep filled with dreams of Tessa. 


	3. black velvet, if you please

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi there! so, while this is marked as the last chapter of this particular tale, i've left the door wide open for me to return to this universe. i've given my heart over to black velvet ink and i'd love to come back to it sooner rather than later but for now, this is for them. many thanks go to kristina for the quick beta, cheyenne for the moral support and leesa for the endless love. and hopefully you'll notice that the rating has jumped up! maybe they finally get their shit together, hm?

After Kaetlyn’s party, Scott has consciously made an effort over the past day to avoid any mentions of Tessa. He’s shut down every one of Andrew’s questions, he actively disappeared when Kaitlyn visited earlier in the morning and, when Tessa knocked on the door a mere ten minutes ago, he had promptly dived under the desk and left Andrew to explain his absence. He felt momentarily guilty when Tessa had let out a soft, disappointed sound before thanking Andrew and turning on her heels to leave. 

As Scott finally surfaces from his hiding place under the front desk, Andrew grimaces at him and shakes his head. “I have no idea what happened between the two of you because you won’t tell me anything but, frankly, you gotta sort it out. She looked like I had just kicked her when I said you weren’t around,” Andrew says. Scott winces and nods. 

“No, I know. It’s not fair to her but I’m just processing some things,” he says, well aware that it’s a flimsy excuse at best. “I should process faster, shouldn’t I?” he asks. Andrew gives him an exasperated expression and Scott groans, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration. It’s not that he doesn’t know what he wants. He absolutely does. What he wants is Tessa. 

Not just in a sexual way, although the feeling of her soft skin under his fingertips and the breathy sighs his kiss had elicited  _ has  _ haunted his every minute. No, it’s more than that. He wants to wake up to her every morning, with her soft eyes and messy hair and oversized shirt sliding off her shoulders, even though he knows that she rarely says a word outside of work until around ten. He wants to go home with her every night and curl up on their shared sofa and watch reruns of old quiz shows until they’re both ready to drop off into a pleasant slumber. He wants to love and cherish her for as long they both live, or for as long as she would let him. He wants to spend his life with her. 

When he thinks about it like that, his next move seems achingly simple in a way that it hadn’t before. “I’m going to fix this,” he says determinedly. 

“Of course you are, man,” Andrew says and Scott startles. If he’s being honest, he had gotten lost in his reverie and forgotten the other man was even there. He flashes a sheepish smile and pushes his hair back from his face. 

“Okay, I’m going to go see her,” he decides, standing up sharply and brushing any stray pieces of greenery from his clothes before he steels himself. “Wish me luck,” he says, pushing the door open. 

As the door swings shut behind him, Scott catches Andrew yelling, “Good luck! Still have no idea what’s happening!” 

Scott takes his time crossing the road before carefully pushing the door to Black Velvet Ink open. The bell rings brightly, announcing his presence, and Scott grimaces. Usually, he associates the bell with the warmth of the women who inhabit this place; Kaitlyn who’s become annoying in the way that only close friends can, Kaetlyn who feels more like his little sister than anything else and, of course, Tess. He doesn’t know what to say about her. 

Now, however, the shrill sound sets him on edge as anxiety roils beneath his skin, desperate to get out. “Scott,” Kaitlyn greets him coolly and he winces. 

“Hi, Kaitlyn. Is Tessa free just now?” he asks. 

“Sure. Oh, wait, she’s going to hide under the front desk while I lie to you,” she says, raising one eyebrow.

“Look, I know that looked bad—she knew I was there?”

“I’m not an idiot, Scott,” Tessa says as she emerges from the back room, rolling her eyes. “Kaitlyn, can you go help Kaet clean up the piercing room?” she asks, although he’s almost certain that it’s just an excuse for them to be alone.

“Hi,” he whispers as soon as Kaitlyn disappears. 

“Hi. Do you want to explain?” she asks, although she barely gives him time to answer before carrying on. “Look, I’m sorry if I read the signs wrong last night but I really thought that you were interested. If you aren’t, that’s fine but I would appreciate it if you would just say so instead of hiding away from me whenever I try to talk to you,” she huffs out, folding her arms over her chest and stepping back from Scott, her shoulders hunching over. It’s her posture of defeat that breaks him. 

Carefully, he steps forward and reaches out to pull her arms away from her body gently. “Tess,” he murmurs, frowning. “Tess, look at me,” he says and exhales softly in relief as she does as he says. His breath catches in his throat at the uncertainty in those green eyes and he’s struck with the overwhelming urge to wrap her in a hug. Before he does that, he steels himself and starts to speak. 

“You didn’t read anything wrong last night,” he starts, “I hid this morning because I was a coward and I didn’t know what to say to you for fear of messing this up. It all felt too big and monumental to handle this morning and that was my fault. I thought about it once I realised how much of an asshole I was being and realised that this is simple, really. I know that hiding wasn’t exactly the best solution but I definitely panicked but I am… very much interested in you and, if it’s okay by you, I came over here to ask if you’d like to go for dinner with me tonight. It doesn’t have to be a big affair if you don’t want it to be but a good meal out - on me, of course - and some wine and hopefully some decent company,” he says, shifting anxiously as he waits for her response. 

Tessa merely blinks at him a few times for a moment before a soft smile spreads across her lips. “I can’t believe you thought hiding from me would sort your feelings out,” she says with a giggle, her hand moving up to stifle it. 

He relaxes and rubs the back of his neck sheepishly, laughing with her. “I never claimed to be the best in the world at this,” he grins. “What do you say, Tess? Go out to dinner with me?” 

Tessa hums thoughtfully in the back of her throat before offering a shy smile, the shyest he’s ever seen from her. “I suppose I will. Just… maybe don’t go diving under the table at the first sight of emotion?” she teases lightly and he barks out a surprised laugh. 

“I’m sure I can manage that much, T,” he says, reaching out for her. She grins back and steps into the circle of his arms, letting him draw her close into a warm hug. She snuggles into him, burying her face into the crook of his neck briefly. They stand like that for a few moments, long enough for their heartbeats to fall into sync before she reluctantly disengages. He smiles warmly at her and reaches out to brush a strand of hair back from her face. “I’ll let you get back to work. I’ll pick you up tonight at 7.30?” 

Tessa nods quickly and steps back. “7.30 is perfect. I’ll see you then,” she says, although she stays where she is, even as he backs away and heads for the door. He can feel her gaze on his back, even as he crosses the road. It’s not until he steps into his own store that he finally lets himself go. Andrew glances up at him curiously and Scott whoops in delight, spinning around in circles until he physically feels himself getting dizzy. 

“Guess who has a date with Tessa tonight?” he grins at Andrew who stares back in disbelief. 

“She actually said yes? Holy shit, that’s amazing. Good luck, man!” Andrew looks just as thrilled for him as Scott feels and he nods enthusiastically. 

“The rest of the day is absolutely going to drag in but yeah. I’m picking her up at half past seven,” Scott says, practically vibrating with excitement. He huffs out a quick sigh in an attempt  to settle his racing heart and turns to get back to work, trying to calm the trembling in his hands before picking up any flowers.

\---

After double and triple checking that everything is in order, Scott draws in one slow breath and raps on Tessa’s apartment door quickly, shifting the potted plant he had brought as a gift into the crook of his arm carefully. When she swings the door open, he doesn’t expect to physically feel breathless but he shouldn’t be surprised. This is Tessa after all. She’s decked out in a simple black jumpsuit but with a plunging V neckline that has him practically swooning at the sheer expanse of pale skin on show, not to mention the tiny hint of black ink peeking out where the neckline shows off a little of her sternum tattoo.

After a moment of gazing at her, he blinks and shakes his head. “Sorry. God, you’re so beautiful,” he whispers, revelling in the fact that he’s actually allowed to say such things now. “I brought you a gift,” he adds, offering the potted orchid over to her. 

Tessa smiles softly and takes it. “It’s gorgeous, thank you,” she murmurs, turning back to set it down on her kitchen table. Scott shifts from foot to foot and offers his arm when she comes back. She blushes softly and loops her arm through his as she steps out of the apartment, locking up behind herself. “Where are we headed?” She asks, slanting a soft, warm smile up at him. He can’t help the urge to kiss her but resists, choosing instead to flash a bright grin. 

“Well, I figured we could check out that new Italian place?” he says, posing it as a question. It wasn’t really — he made sure to text Kaitlyn and ask what sort of places Tessa might have mentioned lately — and, sure enough, she lets out a little squeak of excitement and clutches his arm a little tighter. 

“I’ve wanted to go for weeks!” She grins, snuggling into his side a little more and he feels his heart melt just a bit further. 

The drive to the restaurant is filled with good-natured bickering about the appropriate music and, eventually, he gives in and lets her blare a random 80s playlist, if only for the way Tessa bops along to the beat and hums along, even if she’s generally a fraction off beat. He laughs and pokes her ribs fondly as they both bust out into a raucous, entirely out of tune rendition of ‘I Wanna Dance With Somebody’. By the time they pull up to the restaurant, they’re laughing and out of breath. Scott grins at her breathlessly before killing the engine and stepping out of the car.

“Shall we, milady?” he asks in a faux dramatic tone as he opens her car door and offers his hand. 

“We shall, milord,” she laughs, placing her hand in his and letting him pull her to her feet. 

Scott laughs and lets her loop her arm through his as they head for the door. They step into the restaurant and are greeted by warm, flickering golden light from all the candles atop the tables. They’re led to a table for two at the back and settle down. As soon as they’re seated, Scott hesitantly reaches across to lace his fingers with Tessa’s, squeezing her hand gently before raising it to his lips to press a kiss to her knuckles. 

\---

The rest of the date passes far too quickly, flying past in a haze of fine food and laughter. Before he knows it, he’s paying for their meals, despite Tessa trying to insist on paying for her own. He waves her off lightly and offers his hand instead. Tessa sighs fondly and laces their fingers together, letting their joined hands swing between them as they head back to his car.

Once again, he steps forward to open her door for her, even as she whispers a shy thank you, flushing a pretty pink. As soon as he starts up the engine, he gestures towards the radio. 

“Feel free to pick the music,” he murmurs and she smiles over at him, flipping through a few stations until she settles on one playing the Tragically Hip. He cheers her choice and they spend the rest of the drive quietly singing along and debating the best Hip song. He thinks his choice of ‘Fiddler’s Green’ is obviously the correct option but she’s particularly set on 'New Orleans Is Sinking'. He supposes he can get over how wrong she is.

He parks the car right outside her apartment building but finds he isn’t quite ready to let her go yet. He’s about to make a move to kiss her, just once before he lets her go, until she looks up at him from under her lashes and smiles, slow and full of promise. “Look, do you want to come up for a drink?”

“I...have the car, I probably shouldn’t,” he says slowly, furrowing his brow and wondering if he’s reading this right. 

“I have tea. Or coffee. Whatever you want,” she adds, shrugging one shoulder even as her teeth tug at her bottom lip. Scott’s almost certain it’s a proposition and he blinks at her once. He had thought his heart was thundering before but now, he’s almost certain Tessa will be able to see it beating right out of his chest. 

“Sure then,” he says quietly, letting her take the lead now. Tessa flashes him a quick, almost sheepish smile and steps out of the car. He follows hot on her heels, trying not to seem too eager. That flies out the window fairly quickly. 

Tessa unlocks her door and lets him step in first before closing it firmly behind her. He turns around, about to ask her if she wants him to go make some tea since he knows where her kitchen is now. Instead, he’s faced with her sauntering towards him, eyes dark as she does so. He freezes and swallows his words back, just watching her advance. It seems to take an age but, at last, she steps into his space, one hand sliding up his chest then moving to cup his jaw as she leans up to kiss him. 

She tastes like the single glass of red wine she had drank with dinner, the almost plum like flavour bursting in his mouth as she slides her tongue against his. The kiss isn’t quite as rushed as their first one but Scott finds himself melting into it, desperate for just a little more. Hesitantly, he brings his hands up to rest on her hips, pulling her flush against him. Eventually, she pulls back, tugging his bottom lip with her teeth as she does so. “Remember what I said last night?” she asks, choosing her words carefully and deliberately. 

“Vividly,” he says breathlessly. 

“I meant it. I want to remember every moment of this. Are you okay with it?” Tessa asks, quiet hope alight in her eyes. He surges forward and kisses her hard for a moment. 

“More than. Lead the way,” Scott says, letting her go. Tessa smiles warmly at him and laces their fingers together, tugging him towards her bedroom. She flicks the lights on, flooding the room with soft, golden light that gilds every inch of her skin. He can hardly breathe looking at her. Slowly, he steps over to her, hesitantly, settling his hands on her shoulders and working his fingertips under the edge of her jumpsuit. 

Abruptly, she turns so her back is facing up and gestures silently to the zipper there. Scott takes the hint almost immediately and carefully pulls it down; the loud ticks break the quiet that had fallen over them. As soon as the zipper is undone, she moves to slide the jumpsuit down her shoulders but he stops her, covering her hands with his. “Hold on,” he whispers, turning her around carefully. Once she’s facing him again, Scott smiles softly and reaches out to slowly trace his fingertips down the V of her jumpsuit, watching the way she shivers under the gentle ministrations. 

“I couldn’t stop looking at this all night. You’re so beautiful,” he whispers, even as a flush colours her cheeks. “Can I?” he asks, starting to slip the jumpsuit off. 

“Go ahead,” she whispers in return, watching him intently as he does. She delicately steps out of the pool of black fabric at her feet and he gazes upon her, wanting to study every perfect inch of her. He steps back and sinks down to sit on the bed. “You’re staring,” she says softly.

“I know. I just want to admire you for a minute,” he says gently and she laughs, ducking her head shyly. 

“You’re a sap,” she says although her voice is fond. Scott shrugs and lets his eyes rove over her body reverently. From the elegant curve of her neck, her perfect, petite breasts (the left of which has a silver bar through the nipple and that’s  _ definitely  _ something he wants to revisit later) the sprawling floral artwork on her sternum, the swoop of her hips — adorned with that beautiful quote —  and her muscular thighs, the strength of which he can’t help but notice because of the ink there too. 

Scott exhales slowly and gestures for her to come closer. She steps forward and the silver bar in her belly button piercing winks at him in the light. She’s overwhelming. “Hey,” she whispers. “You are wearing far too many clothes for my liking.” 

He grins in response and nods. “Fair,” he says, quickly shedding his shirt and jeans. With both of them only in their underwear, Tessa slings one leg over him and settles in his lap, her arms looped around his neck. “Hi.”

“Hi,” he whispers in return. “Are you sure you’re okay with this?” 

“I want nothing else,” Tessa murmurs quietly, leaning forward to press her lips to his. He moans into her mouth as his hands slide up to splay across her ribs, holding her close to him. Scott tugs at her bottom lip with his teeth until she whines softly, grinding down onto him with a slow roll of her hips. 

“Hold on, I want to try something,” he whispers against her lips, pulling back. “Lie back on the bed,” he urges her, even as she scrambles up towards the top of the bed, lying on her back. He takes a moment to admire her, sprawled out like the Dresden Venus herself, before shuffling down to put her legs over his shoulders, nosing against the soft, warm skin of her inner thigh even as she gasps. 

“Scott, you don’t have to—”

“I want to,” he insists quietly. “Is that okay?” 

“Yes,” she says, exhaling slowly as the tension sinks out of her legs and her thighs part more fully for him. Scott edges forward a little and slowly nuzzles his nose against the fine black lace of her thong, inhaling the scent of her, more addictive than any flower that he’s ever stocked in his store. He sighs blissfully, even as her hips twitch impatiently. She can obviously tell that he wants to drag this out though because she takes a measured breath and forces herself to stay still. He loves her like this, with her legs spread as she waits, throbbing and open for him. Eventually, he can’t resist any longer and reaches out to drag one finger up her slit through her underwear. Her hips jump at the contact and he smirks, looking for all intents and purposes like the cat who got the cream. 

“Stop being so smug,” she chastises him, her voice breathy. Scott grins in response and lowers his head to lick a slow stripe against her, revelling in the surprised little squeak it draws from her. The lace thong is rough against his tongue but he enjoys the drag of it, even if he is desperate to press closer to her. Scott circles her clit with his tongue, never quite touching it even as she mewls underneath him. 

He’s surprised at how responsive she is, how vocal she’s being, although he shouldn’t be really. She always has been bold. Tessa whimpers and rolls her hips impatiently, raising up in an attempt to press into his mouth. He tilts his head and nips lightly at the flesh of her thigh, where a red mark immediately blossoms on the pale expanse of skin as she hums in delight. Interesting to note, he thinks. 

His hands wander slowly up her thighs, tracing the waistband of her thong as she writhes under him. His nails scratch lightly at the planes of her abdominal muscles and she whines, high in her throat. “Scott…” she trails off, trying for a warning tone and landing somewhere in the region of desperate. Eventually, he relents and slides the soaked lace down her thighs, letting her kick the thong off, leaving it discarded somewhere on the floor. Once it’s out of the way, he dips his head back down, flattening his tongue and sliding it through her folds smoothly. She’s already obscenely wet and he can’t help the choked moan in the back of his throat as he finally tastes her properly.  

He’s always loved going down on women — loves hearing the way they gasp at first contact, the slick sounds of his tongue moving against them, the way they tremble when he finds a particularly sensitive spot and the sweet-sour tang on his tongue. He’s always loved it but going down on Tessa is somehow even better. 

She’s the original sin, his Pandora’s box, the sun that Icarus flies too close to. She’s intoxicating. 

He scrapes his teeth very lightly across the hood of her clit and half smirks as she moans, loud and low and unabashed. Learning what she likes in bed might just become his favourite project in the world. Teasingly, he laves his tongue over the sensitive bundle of nerves, her moan turning suddenly shaky as he does so. If he was in a rush, he knows that he could coax an orgasm from her just by focusing on her clit but they have all the time in the world now. So, he dips his tongue past her entrance instead, working it against her walls and curling it until she’s shaking again. His hands drift down to grip her thighs, fingers biting into her flesh just hard enough to raise red marks. He’s distantly aware of how unfairly hot it is, of how much he enjoys seeing her painted with his marks, especially around the neat lines of her staff tattoo. 

She’s close now, he can tell by the near frantic way her hips push up to meet the slow thrusts of his tongue and he knows it would only take the slightest bit of attention to her clit to send her over the edge. He’s not quite ready for that so instead, he withdraws his tongue, immediately replacing it with three crooked fingers. It’s just enough to stretch her a little and Tessa throws her head back in delight, a trembling moan working its way past her lips. He loves those sweet sounds already. He wants to write a soundtrack for his entire life with the symphony of her moans. 

Lightly, he blows cool air across her clit and Tessa positively squeals, her hips bucking frantically in an attempt to chase her release. She’s impossibly close and he wants to see her come so he sits up a fraction, ignoring the burn in his thighs as he props himself just above her. 

His thumb finds her clit and  _ presses  _ just once. It’s enough. 

He could watch her say ‘fuck’ for days on end, he thinks. He tilts his head and studies the way she lets the curse out on a soft exhale as she lies under him. Her lashes are fluttering, dark and long against the flushed, slick skin of her cherubic cheeks and he can’t help but smile with pride, knowing that he’s responsible for her current state. Her chest heaves considerably as she draws in a breath. The floral tattoo on her sternum shifts and he’s momentarily distracted by the living, breathing garden on her skin. He bows his head to worship at the Edenic spot and nips lightly at the ink with his teeth, her flesh his own forbidden fruit. His eyes snap up to her face as she curses again, perfect white teeth pulling at her bottom lip, where her once-pristine red lipstick is now ragged and smudged — all his own work — as she forces out that first hissing ‘f’ followed by the drawn out vowel in the middle. Her head tips back as her mouth drops open in pleasure. Then he bites down again, hard, at the same time as he crooks his fingers and flicks at her clit with his thumb. That sharp, explosive ‘k’ sound bursts from her like a gunshot, her body seizing beneath him, pain mixed with pleasure. 

Her back bows off the bed, her breath stuttering in her throat as she shatters around him, her orgasm surging through her. He works her through it until she’s trembling, just on the brink of overstimulation. Carefully, he slips his drenched fingers from her, making sure they lock eyes as he does so. She languidly takes his wrist and guides his hand up to her mouth. He catches on quick and slides his fingers into her mouth, groaning as she sucks her own come from his skin. 

“You’re going to kill me, Tess,” he says, voice husky as he watches her. 

She releases his fingers with a pop and flops back, still boneless from her orgasm. “Mhm but what a way to go, eh?” She lets her eyes close for a minute, still basking in the post orgasm glow, before she eventually rolls over and straddles him. 

“Now. Let’s take care of you,” she whispers sultrily and he groans. 

What a way to go indeed. 

\---

**One Year Later…**

Scott whistles brightly as he tugs the keys out of his pocket, shifting the bouquet into his other arm, and unlocks the door to Black Velvet Ink. “Tess? Babe?” He calls, strolling through the studio and following the now-familiar buzz of the tattoo gun round to one of the chairs. Tessa is lying on her front, the fine expanse of her back exposed as little Kaetlyn hunches over her shoulder, working away. 

“Hey babe,” she murmurs, glancing up at him with a warm smile. 

“Happy anniversary,” he says, kneeling down in front of her to kiss her softly, mindful not to crush the blooms in his arms.

“You too,” she whispers against his lips. 

“What tattoo are you getting this time?” Scott asks, rocking back on his haunches. 

“Hm, it’s a surprise,” she grins mischievously. “Those are some pretty flowers,” she adds after a beat, tilting her head towards the arrangement he holds.

“They’re for a pretty girl,” he teases back. He gives up on crouching and drops down to sit on the floor, gazing up at her face. 

“Teach me some meanings,” she says gently, turning her head so she can look at him properly. 

“Any time,” he murmurs, carefully setting the vase down so she can see. “These are calla lilies. They signify magnificent beauty so I thought they were very appropriate for you,” he grins, as she laughs in amusement. 

“Charmer. Go on, tell me more,” she prompts gently, grimacing briefly as Kaetlyn hits a sensitive part of flesh. 

“Sorry, Tess,” she whispers and Tessa waves her opposite hand casually. 

“Don’t worry about it,” she hums and Scott smiles, reaching out to point at a different type of white flower. 

“These are gardenias. They signify a sweet love that you want to last,” he says, voice gentle. “And this is ivy. Ivy represents fidelity — a strong attachment and loyalty.” 

“And the last one?” Tessa asks quietly, focusing all her attention in on Scott, even as Kaetlyn sets the gun down. 

“Spanish jasmine. It represents sensuality,” he whispers, reaching out to run his fingers down her arm. 

“Hey! This is a sterile environment, none of that!” Kaitlyn hollers as she swans past. Tessa bursts into warm laughter, burying her face into the bed to muffle it. “Little K, look at that! Nice one,” Kaitlyn adds, tilting her head to examine the tattoo now adorning Tessa’s right shoulder. 

“I wanna see!” Scott says, scrambling to his feet and making his way around to look at the art. “Oh,” he exhales softly, gazing at it in wonder. There, on the perfect skin of her shoulder is a tiger lily in bright, warm watercolours. She turns to look at him and smiles. 

“The tiger lily means I dare you to love me,” she whispers. 

“You really saw through that, huh?” he asks and she laughs softly. 

“You’re the worst liar,” she replies. 

“You’re not wrong. I should never have tried,” he laughs. 

“What do you say?” Tessa asks, gesturing vaguely towards her shoulder.

“Well, I never could resist a dare,” he smirks, leaning down again to kiss her even as she giggles against his lips. Best dare of their lives. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> find me on twitter @gracesvirtue! I’m planning on doing a short thread of headcanons for this universe so if you have questions, hit me up in the comments or on twitter


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